The Queen's Veterinary School Hospital

Clinical Training

Undergraduate

As an integral part of the Veterinary School, one role of the QVSH is to provide clinical cases to assist with teaching the clinical veterinary course. The final year of the course comprises 'clinical rotations' of groups of 6 - 12 students within clinical areas including: diagnostic imaging, anaesthesia, small animal medicine, oncology, clinical pathology, small animal surgery, equine studies and large animal studies. In many of these rotations final year students are given individual case responsibility (under clinical supervision) and are thus enabled to develop their own diagnostic, problem solving and manual skills in a supervised environment. They also gain invaluable experience of client communication and communication with referral veterinarians, allowing development of their professional and interpersonal skills.

In addition to case based, one-to-one teaching, the rotations comprise a mixture of seminars, ward rounds, case discussions and presentations which enable final year students to develop their knowledge, understanding and abilities in a clinically relevant environment and become competent veterinarians.

An elective programme for the 6th year allows students to choose a 6 - 8 week period of elective study in March / April on a variety of different topics, many involving clinical cases and based in the hospital. Student electives are not confined to the hospital however, as the programme provides a unique opportunity for students to gain experience in other aspects of veterinary work, for example, Zoo medicine or public health.

Post Graduate

The hospital has an impressive number of RCVS Diplomates or Diplomates of European Specialist Boards amongst its senior clinical staff, who are responsible for the residency training programmes. The QVSH is a RCVS Approved Centre for Training in Small Animal Surgery (Orthopaedics and Soft Tissue), Small Animal Medicine and has also gained approval as a training centre for the European Colleges of Veterinary Internal Medicine, Surgery, Neurology and Anaesthesia. At the present time, there are 14 Resident positions in the Department. This number of Residents provides a critical mass for effective teaching and stimulating opportunities for case discussions and clinico-pathological interactions, in addition to the specific discipline training provided by the Resident's supervisors. Each Resident is responsible to one Faculty member and to the Director of Clinical Studies and Hospital Services who reviews the Resident's progress annually and agrees with the Resident the goals for the next 12 month period.

All these posts assist with the running of the hospital and have a strong teaching element. However, the aim of the residency programme is to provide a high quality clinical training leading to further, specialist qualifications in the form of RCVS Certificates and Diplomas, and Diplomas from the relevant European Colleges. This structured residency programme has proved very successful in the number of Certificates and Diplomas achieved by past and present residents training within the QVSH.

When Residency positions fall vacant they are advertised on the Department's Website and in the Veterinary Press.